2022 Toyota Crown – And Now For Something Completely Different
The Toyota Crown was Toyota’s first mass produced car in 1955. It represented the cutting edge of Toyota’s motorcar technology and was mostly an exclusive JDM product. At points in its history, the Crown would be exported to other markets. During one such period in the late ‘50s, it became the first Toyota to be officially sold in the U.S. Since that time, the American market got versions of the Crown known by its native title or names like Cressida or Lexus GS. Then around its 10th generation in the mid ‘90s, the Crown began to evolve differently than export market Lexi, getting bigger and more opulent while still wearing the Toyota name – usually with trim level names like Royal Saloon or Athlete to define its mission. By this time it was a far cry from the Kentucky built for the American market full-size Avalon sedan (RIP Avalon).
Always front engine and rear wheel drive, the Crown in many of its variants became a kind of forbidden fruit in places where it was formally never sold (not that Americans were clamoring for another big Toyota sedan). The final JDM Crown was a big rear drive sedan with V6 or inline four power. It’s exterior was a mashup of various Lexus/Toyota cues that LS500 owners would be familiar with. Its face, shockingly repulsive, was a melted plastic frown that looked both aggressive and monstrous. There were two basic trim lines one for luxury and a more sport oriented one. From the front the sport oriented Athlete line seemed a fitting name when adorned with ground effects, but the luxurious Royal Saloon variants felt odd with the same aggressive front end.
Then for the Crown’s 16th generation in 2022, Toyota would shake up the formula and go with a traverse engine/front wheel drive configuration. Still a full-sized car and built on the versatile TNGA platform, the Crown is now something more than a sedan. It had taken on crossover proportions with a jacked up ride height and bolstered fenders suggesting faux off road capability. It was even offered with all-wheel drive. In keeping with the theme developed with the Corolla and spreading throughout the Toyota line, the Crown’s front end was a sleek play on the new Prius and Corolla, but somehow managing to look more gruff than either, despite it’s mission as a family car. In other ways it was a simple update to the departed Avalon face which was more aggressive than it needed to be. It was a gamble for Toyota to go so bold with the Crown, considering that it’s other full-sized sedan, the almost beautiful hydrogen powered Mirai is clearly not for everyone.
The Crown line is also simplified with three trims, all sharing the sleek coupe-like sedan body. In the top Platinum trim, wheels can reach 21’, the largest ever fitted to a Toyota sedan from the factory.
Perhaps the biggest news was that the Crown would be produced in Japan and sold globally with both left- and right-hand drive versions. There had not been a Crown badged Toyota in America since 1972. That car was an awkwardly shaped compact sedan with a 115 hp 6-cylinder engine. The new Crown easily makes double that (236 hp) with it’s least powerful hybrid powertrain (a 2.5-liter ICE paired with 3 electric motors). The base powertrain offers an impressive 38 combined mpg. The more powerful “Dual Boost Hybrid System” makes up to 345 hp using a turbocharged 2.4-liter engine paired with a electric motor at the rear axle. Platinum trim models with the more powerful Hybrid Max high-performance powertrain use a traditional six-speed automatic transmission. Despite AWD, the sporty Crown has a front wheel drive bias, but achieve a 5.1 second 0 to 60 time. Even more impressive is that so big a car gets 32mpg on the highway.
In America, the Crown replaced the quietly beloved Avalon. That car became the new Caprice for anyone wanting a full sized car with Lexus-like luxury at a Toyota price. It seems almost premature that the Avalon would go away, but Toyota must have figured that the Avalon crowd was moving more towards SUV and crossovers like everyone else. Besides, the Chrysler/Dodge camp seemed to be squeezing new life out of big bad boy sedans that were a far cry from the typical Toyota demographic.
By making the new Crown a crossover or by jacking it up, it fulfills the functionality of the outgoing Avalon, but with the added (perceived) security and safety that comes with a increased ground clearance (.05 inches over the Avalon). Toyota says the Crown is 4 inches taller than a typical sedan as if raising a Camry to a point makes it a crossover. It’s fast back profile is deceptive as it still a trunk with 15 cubic feet with the back seats down. The Crown line could gain some crossover legitimacy by releasing the wagon variant called the Insignia – which is unlikely considering the many other truck/wagon-like things Toyota sells in America.
The inside of the Crown is typical Toyota, in that it offers a modern ergonomic showcase for various screens and displays with welcomed physical controls for things like HVAC and audio. Like any modern car, the Crown sports two 12.3 inch screens, one functions as the traditional instrument gauge cluster for and one for infotainment. A host of nanny guidance systems are available in the name of safety and convivence. There is considerable luxury like the optional panoramic roof. Toyota and a few other manufacturers caused a bit of a controversy the use of subscriber based features. Some of these features were formally items that buyers paid for once with the car like remote starting. After complaints from customers Toyota scaled back it’s subscription features, but it like other manufacturers are still keeping this option in their pockets as a potential revenue stream.
It might be easy to guess that the Crown became the top full-sized car sold in America on paper as the remaining VW and Nissan offerings were a mixed bag. The Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300, once America’s favorite full sized sedans will be gone by the time the Crown starts to rule the segment. With sedans quickly disappearing, it will be interesting to see if the Crown will hold its own. It might be a bit too unwieldy looking to be called a proper sedan, but not upright enough (or off road capable) to be a true SUV. For that reason the concept works better if you imagine the Crown as a sleek crossover. If it were a sports car, it might be called a sleek SUV, but as a parking lot prowler, the Crown is a nice alternative to the funny looking tall jacked up sedans that pass for crossovers today.
Autopolis 